Nina Chanel Abney Brings Art to FIFA 22
EA Sports
Nina Chanel Abney
Campaign
Murals
Photography
Production
Video
Focus
ICNCLST forged the collaboration between Nina Chanel Abney and EA Sports to celebrate the launch of FIFA 22. The campaign aimed to authentically connect with a new generation of football fans while highlighting Abney’s personal connection to the sport and her dynamic artistic vision.
Execution
ICNCLST managed the multi-layered campaign, overseeing artist engagement and creative strategy. Abney designed a custom in-game football kit, a special edition game cover, and a site-specific mural on The Ground rooftop court in Chinatown, Manhattan. ICNCLST ensured the creative vision was integrated across digital, physical, and experiential touchpoints, amplifying the campaign’s cultural relevance.
Cultural Impact
The collaboration merged gaming, art, and football culture, giving fans a visually striking and immersive experience. By elevating Abney’s work into both the virtual and physical worlds, the campaign strengthened engagement with diverse audiences while celebrating creativity, sport, and community.
ICNCLST also handled photo and video production of the mural, enlisting photographer trashhand to capture Nina’s vision coming to life.
Each design element within Nina’s pieces is grounded in classic football iconography. “I began by browsing the web for soccer related imagery and then began making different elements to collage,” said Nina, during an interview with Hypebeast. The resulting rooftop court is a gathering place for enthusiasts of the game, with the Ground NYC offering public bi-weekly pickup football games.
Nina’s creations will also be enjoyed globally, as fans are able to play with her custom kit in the storied Ultimate Team game mode. The kit design features a similar, vibrant color palette and graphics, as seen on her mural. FIFA 22 is now available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch and PC.
